Typewriting machine



H, A. AVERY 2,27,@9

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 15, 1932 INVENTOR HENRY ALLENAVERY ATTO RN EY5 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 umrso STATES PATENT OFFICETYPEWRITING MACHINE Henry Allen Avery, Groton, N. Y., assignor to L. C.Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines, and moreparticularly to improvements in inking ribbon actuating mechanism ofsuch machines.

The invention provides a ribbon actuating mechanism for vibrating theribbon edgewise different extents and preventing such edgewise vibrationof the ribbon, which mechanism is characterized by simplicity ofconstruction and positiveness of operation. The invention also providesa ribbon mechanism especially adapted for embodiment in small and lowportable typewriting machines with marked space limitations for a ribbonactuating mechanism having the aforesaid functions.

In the drawing, in which so much of a portable typewriter of low heightis shown as is necessary for an understanding of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the machine with the severaloperating parts in idle position; and

Fig.2 is a detail front elevation of part of the ribbon vibrating meansadjusted for stencil typing operation of the machine.

The machine, only so much of which is shown as is necessary tounderstand the construction and operation of the ribborr actuatingmechanism, has a fixed or rigid framework of low height on which aremounted the ribbon mechanism and other moving parts of the machine,

such as the platen carriage (not shown), parts of this framework beingshown in the drawing, and designated by the reference numeral l0, and apart of the platen being shown at H.

The inking ribbon I2 is wound from one to the other of two ribbon spoolsit forward of the platen, which spools are held on the upper ends of twovertical spool carrying shafts I l journalled in framework ill adjacentopposite sides of the machine and extending close to the bottom of theframework. Each shaft M has a bevel gear I5 fixed on its lower end fordriving of the shafts alternately by a suitable reversible ribbon feeddriving means not shown.

The universal bar 28 is operated by a part of each type action. One ofthe type actions is shown, comprising a type key 29 connected bysuitable linkage to actuate a rearwardly swinging type bar 39, oneelement of the linkage having a lug St for depressing the universal baron the down stroke of the key. The universal bar has forward lyextending arms journalled on horizontal pivots 32 at opposite sides ofthe frame, one of which arms normally engages under a stop 33 on theframe.

The universal bar has a pendent extension 34 adjacent its fulcrumconnected by a fore-andaft extending link 35 to an upwardly extendingrock arm 36 fixed on the left hand end of a horizontal rock shaft 31 andhaving a forward 5 extension connected to the framework ll] by a returnspring 38 for the ribbon mechanism and universal bar. Shaft 31 extendstransversely of the machine from the left hand side to about the medialvertical plane of the machine and is journalled in the framework at itsends.

The ribbon l2 passesthrough the upper end of .the usual up and downshiftable ribbon guide 68 which is shifted to carry the ribbon edgewiseup over the printing point on platen I! on'the down strokes of the keysand retract it from over said point on the return strokes of the keys.According to the present invention the ribbon is vibrated up and down bya ribbon vibrating device comprising said guide 60 and a bellcrank lever6| having a forwardly extending arm to which the lower end of the guideis pivoted on a horizontal transverse pivot 62 and a pendent arm havingtwo horizontal pins 63 extending toward different sides of the machineat different distances from the lever axis.

The lever B! is pivoted on the frame at 64 to rock about a horizontaltransverse axis at a higher level than rock shaft 31 and is operatedfrom said shaft by a fore-and-aft rocking actuator in the form of a yoke65 having upwardly extending parallel arms loosely pivoted on shaft 31for turning about said shaft and sliding axially on the shaft. Eachupstanding arm of yoke 65 has a longitudinal slot 66 in its upper 85end, the slotted arms being located at opposite sides of the pendent armof bellcrank lever Bl. for reception of one pin 63 in the slot 66 of onearm and reception of the other pin 63 in slot 66 of the other arm toconnect the actuator or 0 yoke member 65 to the lever for rocking thelever. The actuator yoke 65 is axially slidable on the shaft between twofixed limits by manually operable means comprising a bellcrank handlever 6'! pivoted on the frame at the right hand side of the machine ona horizontal transverse pivot 68, with its movement limited byengagement of its forwardly extending handle arm with the ends of avertical slot 69 in a part of the frame. Lever 67 has a pendent armconnected by arearwardly extending link 18 to the rightwardly extendingarm of a horizontally swinging bellcrank lever 10 pivoted at I! on theframe and provided with a rearwardly extending arm connected by ahorizontal transversely extending link 12 with actuator yoke 65. Thehandle arm of lever 61 is a laterally springy arm latchable in either oftwo notches in one vertical wall of slot 69 at opposite ends of slot 69,or in a medial notch in said slot Wall, the three notches beingdesignated 13.

A rock arm I4 fixed on rock shaft 31 has a horizontal projection [5,extending longitudinally of the rock shaft, slidably engaged in anaperture 16 in one upstanding arm of actuator yoke 65 between the upperend of said arm and the shaft 31 to key said yoke to the shaft to rockwith the shaft except when the yoke is slid midway between the limits ofits sliding motion by latching of the handle arm of lever 61 in themedial one of the three notches 13.

In this slidably adjusted medial position of the yoke a notch T! in theforward edge of projection 15 is opposite the rearwardly facing edge ofaperture 16 in the apertured yoke arm, this notch being of sufiicientdepth to permit shaft 31 to be rocked without rocking the yoke. Thespacing of the slotted yoke arms is such that in the medially adjustedposition of the yoke 65 both pins 63 (as shown in Fig. 2) are engaged inthe yoke arm slots 86 while, when the hand lever 61 is shifted to itsupward limit the leftwardly extending pin 63 only is engaged with theyoke, and when the lever B"! is shifted to its downward limit (as shownin Fig. 1) only the rightwardly extending pin 63 is engaged with theyoke.

There is thus a constantly maintained mechanical connection between theshaft 31 and the ribbon guide, the rock arm '74 being always interlockedwith the yoke, and the yoke being always interlocked with the ribbonguide vibrating bellcrank, but in the medially adjusted position of theyoke the rocking of the shaft does not vibrate the ribbon. When the lefthand pin alone is engaged in a yoke arm slot the ribbon has a greaterupward throw than when the right hand pin alone is engaged in a yoke armslot, the ribbon remaining in lowered position to permit typing ofstencils when both pins are engaged in the slots of the yoke arms.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No.586,724, filed January 15, 1932.

What I claim is:

1. In a visible writing typewriting machine in which the type print at apoint on the front portion of the platen, the combination of a ribbonguide movable up and down to carry an inking ribbon over and retract itfrom the printing point, a bell-crank lever having a forwardly extendingarm to which the guide is pivoted and a pendent arm having twoprojections located different distances from the lever axis andextending toward opposite sides of the machine, said lever beingpivotally supported to swing about a horizontal axis extendingtransversely of the machine, a horizontal rock shaft extendingtransversely of the machine below said lever axis and projections,key-operated means for rocking said shaft, a yoke having two upstandingarms loosely pivoted at their lower ends on said rock shaft and slidablealong said shaft, each yoke arm having a longitudinal slot for receivingone of said projections on the bell-crank lever and one of said yokearms having an aperture therein, a rock arm on said rock shaft having aprojection extending longitudinally of said shaft, and manually operablemeans connected with said yoke for shifting said yoke longitudinally ofthe shaft from one to the other of two limits of axial sliding movementof the yoke on the shaft in both of which the projection on said rockshaft is engaged in said yoke arm aperture to rock the yoke with theshaft and in each of which a different one of said lever projections isengaged in the slot of a different one of the yoke arms to thereby varythe up and down throw of the ribbon guide.

2. In a visible writing typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbonguide for vibrating the inking edgewise ribbon to cover and uncover theprinting point, a ribbon guide vibrating lever having two oppositelyextending projections parallel with and different distances from thelever axis, a key operated rock shaft parallel with the lever axis, arock arm fixed on said rock shaft and having a projection parallel withthe rock shaft, a member having two parallel connected arms pivoted andaxially slidable on the rock shaft and extending toward said leverprojections, one of said member arms having an aperture through whichsaid rock arm projection slidably extends, the two arms of said memberextending at opposite sides of the projection carrying portion of saidlever and each having a longitudinal slot therein for insertion of theadjacent lever projection through the arm to connect the arm and leverfor vibrating the lever, and manually shiftable means connected withsaid member for sliding the member along the rock shaft to disconnectone of its arms from one pin and connect its other arm with the otherpin without disengaging said rock arm projection from the aperture insaid member.

3. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pivoted andaxially slidable member is slidable by said manually shiftable means toan intermediate position in which said rock arm and its projection areineffective to rock said member when the rock shaft is rocked.

4. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pivoted andaxially slidable member is axially slidable by said manually shiftablemeans to an intermediate position in which both pins are engaged in thearm slots of said member and in which the projection on said rock arm isnotched to vibrate in the apertured arm of said member, without rockingthe member when the member is in said intermediate position.

HENRY ALLEN AVERY.

